eir army and moved forward against the castle.
Many men were there who had promised them their aid. They took the
castle; and killed many people. Now when King Canute's men heard of this
they assembled an army, and were soon in such force that Ethelred's sons
could not stand against it; and they saw no other way left but to return
to Rouen. Then King Olaf separated from them, and would not go back
to Valland, but sailed northwards along England, all the way to
Northumberland, where he put into a haven at a place called Valde;
and in a battle there with the townspeople and merchants he gained the
victory, and a great booty.

27. OLAF'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.

King Olaf left his long-ships there behind, but made ready two ships of
burden; and had with him 220 men in them, well-armed, and chosen people.
He sailed out to sea northwards in harvest, but encountered a tremendous
storm and they were in danger of being lost; but as they had a chosen
crew, and the king s luck with them, all went on well. So says Ottar:--

"Olaf, great stem of kings, is brave--
Bold in the fight, bold on the wave.
No thought of fear
Thy heart comes near.
Undaunted, 'midst the roaring flood,
Firm at his post each shipman stood;
And thy two ships stout
The gale stood out."

And further he says:--

"Thou able chief! with thy fearless crew
Thou meetest, with skill and courage true,
The wild sea's wrath
On thy ocean path.
Though waves mast-high were breaking round.
Thou findest the middle of Norway's ground,
With helm in hand
On Saela's strand."

It is related here that King Olaf came from the sea to the very middle
of Norway; and the isle is called Saela where they landed, and is
outside of Stad. King Olaf said he thought it must be a lucky day for
them, since they had landed at Saela in Norway; and observed it was a
good omen that it so happened. As they were going up in the isle,
the king slipped with one foot in a place where there was clay, but
supported himself with the other foot. Then said he "The king falls."
"Nay," replies Hrane, "thou didst not fall, king, but set fast foot
in the soil." The king laughed thereat, and said, "It may be so if God
will." They went down again thereafter to their ships, and sailed to
Ulfasund, where they heard that Earl Hakon was south in Sogn, and was
expected north as soon as